An exciting day

Yesterday was an exciting day for me…. my birthday!  Yes, another one.  They do seem to come round more quickly each year, don’t they?

It was a grey and dull day but that didn’t detract from my day!  As a treat we were to go to London to see a show called the Jersey Boys which I had long wanted to see.

We got ready to go out and had decided to take the bus to the rail station.  Waiting at the bus stop with about 8 minutes to go we noticed an Interlink van driving out of our road.  Hubby realised that a parcel he had been waiting for might have been attempting a delivery.  As soon as the van came towards us at the bus stop he flagged it down.  The driver expecting a hold up by a couple of wrinklies looked quizzically as my husband explained.  Yes, the package was onboard so it was signed for and duly handed over.  Right!  A quick sprint to the house and I’ll be back, according to  Hubby.  There was to be just enough time before the arrival of the bus.  I waited thinking that if I could just see my husband coming out of our road I would be able to delay the bus long enough for him to catch up.  The clock ticked, and ticked.  At last!  Around the corner he rushed just in time to arrive at the bus stop simultaneously as the bus!  Unbeknown to me as he was locking the front door a ParcelPost van drew up wanting to deliver a box of flowers for me!  Quickly they were accepted, placed in the hall, door locked and then the rush to return to me at the bus stop.

Once at the station we bought our rail tickets to travel by train to Victoria from where we were to continue our journey to Leicester Square by Underground.  Since we were early we decided to have a drink and a spot of lunch.  How civilized!

Now the time was coming to enter the Prince Edward Theatre.   We were to be sitting in the grand circle.  Settling down we waiting in anticipation for the lights to dim and the production to begin. By the way, we sat in two of the red seat pictured in the picture on the right!

The musical show of Jersey Boys is based on the electrifying true life story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. With spectacular performances of their hits, follow the rollercoaster journey of a group of working class boys from the streets of New Jersey, who worked their way to the heights of international pop stardom.  The show featured many memorable hits, including: Beggin’, Oh What a night, Can’t take my eyes off you, Sherry, Walk like a man, Bye bye baby and Baby, big girls don’t cry to name but a small selection of songs preformed.  Follow this link to read about the story of the Four Seasons http://www.jerseyboyslondon.com/jerseyboys_behindthemusic.asp  You can even get a taster of the music as well as some clips from the actual show! 

Actually, one of the scariest thoughts was that here we were clapping and singing our hearts out to music from over 40, yes, 40 years ago!!!  Gulp!  It was especially hard when I looked around me at some of the audience and fully realised, here were all the wrinklies….mmmmm.

We had thought about having a drink and a meal to round off the evening but decided just on a drink, travelling back home to invite our daughter over for a take away pizza with some bubbly!  A wonderful end to a brilliant day.

What were the flowers and who were they from?  Beautiful cream roses with purple irises and some lilies in between from one of the boys, wasn’t that kind?  Who loves ya baby!!!?

Oh no, he didn't! Oh yes, he did!!

Oh no, he didn't!  Or, Oh yes, he did!! These are words that ring out from both children and adults alike during the many Pantomime performances at this time of year in UK.  No, we haven't all gone mad.  Never heard of a Panto or Pantomime?  Well, this could be your lucky day!!

Pantomime, as we know it today is a theatrical show predominantly aimed at children, based on a popular fairy tale or folk legend. The most popular subjects being "Cinderella", followed by "Aladdin", "Dick Whittington" and "Snow White".  Although any story linked with a fairy tale or traditional children's story such as Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk etc can be used.

In the UK, the word "Pantomime" means a form of entertainment, generally performed during the Christmas season during the months of December and January.  Most cities and towns throughout the UK have a form of Pantomime. The origins of British Pantomime or "Panto" as it is known date back to the middle ages, taking on board the traditions of the Italian "Commedia dell’ Arte, the Italian night scenes in which actors concentrated on miming along with song and dance, and British Music hall to produce an intrinsic art form that constantly adapted to survive up to the present day.  Panto has been attempted abroad, usually with a small amount of success. Not surprisingly it has proved popular in countries such as Canada, Australia.  However, in America this very British art form has been less popular, although in 1868 a production of "Humpty Dumpty" ran for over 1,200 performances at the Olympic Theatre, New York, making it the most successful Pantomime in American history!

Pantomime has always combined many elements of theatre throughout its existence.  By adapting itself it has managed to survive.  The main element includes the most important one of tradition with a strong well known story line.  The tale has to be well told, incorporating the all important elements of good battling against evil, and emerging triumphant. In this respect, the concept varies little from the medieval morality plays, performed on village greens. To this day "tradition" says that the Pantomime villain should be the first to enter, from the "dark side", stage left, followed by his adversary the good fairy from stage right. This echoes the tradition in medieval times when the entrances to heaven and hell were placed on these sides.  The evil character is booed and hissed at as he enters.  Whenever he asks the audience whether something is true or not they will always respond in the opposite.  Hence the 'oh yes, you did' versus the 'oh no, you didn't' tradition.

Another important element of a good Panto is the slap stick humour.  This could be derived from the original Harlequin character who would know when the scenery should be changed, and it is believed he would "Clap"  his slapstick to indicate that this should happen, in the form of an audible cue.  It could well be the start of the old superstition that it was bad luck to clap your hands behind the scenes at the back of the stage for fear that the heavy scenery would be moved at an inappropriate time thus causing an accident.

One of the main characters in a Panto is the Pantomime Dame, usually the hero’s mother, such as Widow Twankey in "Aladdin" or "Dame Trott" in Jack and the Beanstalk.  She was a creation that emerged from the early Music Halls of the Victorian era. 

The Ugly Sisters differ from the Dame in that they have to tread the thin tightrope between being hugely comic characters, and yet still remain the villains of the piece.  They were originally played by women but from the mid 1800 men took on the characters.

Tradition also states that the principal boy role should be played by a woman and not a man.    The Victorian male, living in a society where even the legs of the parlour piano were covered for modesty’s sake , craved the vision of a well turned calf, or shapely ankle.

Whilst ladies were corseted, crinolined or bustled on the street, artistic license allowed ladies upon the stage to wear costumes that revealed shapely legs in tights on condition that they were playing a male role!

Seldom featured, and yet indispensable, Pantomime could not survive without its chorus of dancers, and indeed its troupes of juveniles or “Babes” as they are known.  Today, for reasons of economy the troupe will consist of 6 -8 boys and girls.

In addition to the usual characters on stage modern technology in the form of computer graphics has been used to be incorporated in the performances to enhance lighting effects and sounds to help keep the show as modern and up to date as possible.

And so, my friends, you have a very brief recount of the traditional British Panto!  For many years to come it will remain as the traditional activity for the Christmas period.  A visit to a pantomime may be a child’s first experience of live theatre. If that experience is magical enough, it can leave a lasting impression. In a world where children are surrounded by computer games and videos, DVD's and the all pervasive influences of television, a visit to a pantomime could be a catalyst.

The tradition will continue, children will shout "Oh yes it is!" as loudly as ever, and, when the actor in the white sheet waves his arms behind our hero and goes "Whoo" Whooo!", children of all ages will still cry out "Its-behind-you!"